


The Antiverser

by ShepardisaBOSS



Category: RWBY
Genre: Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-08
Updated: 2014-10-08
Packaged: 2018-02-20 10:41:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2425760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShepardisaBOSS/pseuds/ShepardisaBOSS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While on his way to meet Duncan in the world of RWBY, Michael comes across a mysterious portal. Deciding to investigate, he comes across a force so powerful, so dark, that it will stop at nothing to achieve its goal. Two-Shot story, first chapter takes place between chapters 10 and 11 of VindictiveDunc's story "MLTI VRSE."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Antiverser

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm pretty excited about doing this. My first story that accompanies someone else's story- that story being VindictiveDunc's story MLTI VRSE.
> 
> Also, just to clarify things, this chapter takes place between MLTI VRSE chapters 10 and 11, with Michael telling the tale of how he came to the world of RWBY…as well as his first encounter with the person who will be the ultimate antagonist of the Multiverser saga.
> 
> I also want to give thanks to VindictiveDunc, who not only gave me permission to do this companion story, but for being my co-author for it as well.
> 
> Anyway, here's the disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN RWBY OR THE STORY "MLTI VRSE" IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM! RWBY BELONGS TO MONTY OUM, WHILE MLTI VRSE IS THE PROPERTY OF VINDICTIVEDUNC!
> 
> Now then, let's get this show on the road!

_"In a profound sense every man has two halves to his being; he is not one person so much as two persons trying to act in unison. I believe that in the heart of each human being there is something which I can only describe as a 'child of darkness' who is equal and complementary to the more obvious 'child of light.'"_

_-Laurens van der Post_

_"I define a 'good person' as someone who is fully conscious of their own limitations. They know their strengths, but they also know their 'shadow'- they know their weaknesses. In other words, they understand that there is no good without bad. Good and evil are really one, but we have broken them up in our consciousness. We polarize them."_

_-John Bradshaw_

_"The line between good and evil is permeable and almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces."  
_

_-Philip Zimbardo_

_"It is not true that good can only follow from good and evil can only follow from evil, but often the opposite is true."_

_-Max Weber_

_"People's character is their behavior- we're all capable of good and evil."_

_-Bertie Carvel_

_"I've learned a lot about good and evil. They are not always as they appear to be."_

_-Charles Van Doren_

_"The power of choosing good and evil is within the reach of all."_

_-Origen_

_"Wisdom we know is the knowledge of good and evil, and not the strength to choose between the two."_

_-John Cheever_

* * *

It was a beautiful day at Beacon Academy. The sun was shining, the students were walking about, and I was running away from Duncan like a bat out of Hell.

**Again.**

**"GET YO PUSSY ASS BACK HERE, BITCH!"**  screamed my psychotic teacher/king/friend.

 **"IF YOU THINK I'M GOING TO DO THAT,"**  I yelled back,  **"THEN YOU'RE BOTH STUPID _AND_  INSANE!"**

**"OH, YOU'RE GONNA GET IT NOW, MICHAEL!"**

Now, why is Duncan chasing me? It's because of an event I recently started. The Multiversal Prank War, a war of pranks that spans the Multiverse itself. The war is basically me and my allies against Duncan himself. Normally, many-on-one would be considered overkill. But against Duncan, there was no such thing.

That's why when I decided to rig Duncan's clothes with itching powder bombs when he wasn't looking (along with the help of my chronokinesis), I felt I didn't too far. Duncan, however, thought I crossed the line and entered Mexico.

So now, I'm running for my life, trying to make sure I don't get murdered by Duncan. Eventually, I was forced to take refuge with RWBY, JNPR, Sun and Neptune, shielding myself with Blake and Yang. Duncan came running in soon after, huffing like a maniac. "Come on, Michael," Duncan calmly said as he regained his breathing. "I promise I won't hurt ya. Much."

"Not exactly comforting, Dunc," I bit back.

"What did you do?" Sun asked.

"Itching powder bomb," Duncan and I answered.

"Ouch."

"Look, Mikey," Duncan started, "Just come out from behind the girls and  **LET ME THROTTLE YOU WITH MY HOODIE!"**  he screamed as he lunged at me, pushing Yang and Blake out of the way.

Acting quickly, I rolled out of the way, causing my right shoulder to flare up in pain. I was left on the floor, screaming in slight agony as everyone watched in concern. Regaining my bearings, I got up slowly while nursing my shoulder. "Sorry," I said, "just a sprained shoulder."

"Like dust it is," Weiss exclaimed. "You looked like you got shot!"

"Guys, it's nothing," I said trying to placate them. "Really."

"Then you won't mind showing me the shoulder," Duncan said unconvinced. I sighed in defeat, knowing he wasn't going to drop this. I took off my jacket and pulled down enough of my shirt to show my shoulder. Everyone's eyes widened in shock and slight disgust as they saw a stab wound, appearing to have been somewhat reopened by my attempt at escape. The surrounding veins were a dark purple, almost black in color. The stab wound itself was pitch black.

And it looked like it was pulsating. "Oh great," Jaune moaned. "Now I'm gonna be thinking about **that**  tonight!"

Looking at me in concern, Duncan asked "What happened to you?"

Looking out the window, I replied "It's a long story..."

* * *

_A few days ago..._

* * *

"Son of a  **bitch!"**  I screamed out. "How hard is it to find one stinking universe?!"

I was currently travelling through the Multiverse, both taking in the sights and trying to find my way to the universe of RWBY. More specifically, the universe that Duncan was inhabiting. It would've gone a whole lot faster if he  **gave me a fucking map!**

Still, I couldn't help but appreciate the view. After all, how often can you say you were able to see the Multiverse itself from the comfort of your own starship?

Oh, right, I forgot to mention that I recently created my own starship. It was a massive amalgamation of different starships: the front of the ship was a complete custom design, made to resemble a dragon's head. The bridge was located in the "brain" area of the head, which I figured was fitting. The main body was a UNSC destroyer, though it was altered to match the design of the dragon head. On either side of the ship were a pair of wings, each with arc propulsion turbines and thrusters. The very back of the ship was a seamless blend with an enlarged Rebel Alliance frigate, again stylized to a draconian motif.

This baby was a highly-manuverable, heavily armed weapon of mass destruction, with 3 feet of aggregated diamond nanorod armor plating; premium grade shielding; twin Magnetic Accelerator Cannons; an infinite amount of Shiva-class nuclear missiles constantly being replaced after each shot; Archer-missile pods; anti-aircraft turrets throughout the ship; a complement of multiple aerial, terrestrial and aquatic vehicles; multiple drop pods; and a whole lot of room for a whole lot of people.

Ladies and gentlemen, what I just described to you was my pride and joy: the  _Dragon's Enterprise._

And right now, it was simply drifting through space, not knowing where the hell its destination was.

Sighing, I called out "Akima! Where in the Multiverse are we exactly?"

A feminine, holograhic figure popped out from the central terminal. This person was Akima (also known as Lambda), my A.I. companion/pilot of the ship (and also my girlfriend) whose appearance was based on the character of the same name from an old film called  _Titan A.E._  She was Asian in appearance, with a toned and strikingly sexy body. She was a light purple color, with short-cut purple hair with a bang on each side framing her face.  _ **"Let's put it this way,"**_  she started.  _ **"I've just finished mapping a whole cluster of the Multiverse that's either been lost to time, or was never known to have existed before now."**_

I banged my head on the observation window, groaning loudly as I did so. Things couldn't get much worse at this point.

...

...

...

_'...Oh please tell me I didn't just think that.'_

**_"Hmm? Michael, I just detected a breach in space-time directly ahead of us,"_**  Akima informed me.

Before I knew it, I was at the front of the ship, eyes wide with awe from the sight before me. Just like Akima said, there was a massive tear in time and space directly ahead of us. The tear was multi-colored, and seemed to pulsate with said colors. But what really surprised me was that it was three or four times the size of the  _Dragon's Enterprise._

Regaining my bearings, I asked "Any idea where this leads?"

 _ **"None,"**_  Lambda replied. ** _"For all I know, it could take us anywhere in the Multiverse. Or any_ time."**

Taking a moment to think things over, I began to wonder if I should've just ignored the breach and move along. I mean, if I were smart, that's what I would've done. Play it safe and get the heck out of there.

Then again, I was running late as it is, so I figured "What the hell. Akima, set a course through that hole."

With a smirk, she replied  _ **"Aye captain. Who knows, it might be nice. Wouldn't be the first hole you've gone into and found pleasurable."**_

"...You know, sometimes I really regret having an A.I. that embodies lust," I deadpanned.

_**"You know you love me."** _

"Whatever," I replied. "Let's just go before I change my mind."

And with that, we charged into the breach, unaware of the terror that awaited on the other side.

* * *

_Present Day..._

* * *

"Waitwaitwait," Ren interrupted. "You just jumped into a mysterious portal head-first?

"Without even a  **thought**  as to what might be on the other side?" Pyrrha added.

"You have an A.I.?" Weiss asked dumbfounded.

"You have a spaceship?!" Ruby, Nora and Yang said at once.

As they said this, Duncan and Jaune finished treating my wound. Although it still stung like Hell, Jaune's Aura managed to dull the pain quite a bit as Duncan went all Operation on my shoulder. "Pretty much, yeah, yes I do, and ooooohhh yeah I do," I replied, answering all of their questions.

Shaking her head, Blake asked "Are you sure he's not related to you?"

"Pretty sure," Duncan responded. "I think he's starting to pick up on some things from me."

"That's...actually a pretty horrifying thought," Jaune said with slight fear.

"It is," I agreed. "Getting back on track, though..."

* * *

_A few days ago..._

* * *

The first thing I noticed was that everything was white.

I'm not saying everything was covered in snow, or anything like that. I mean, there was literally nothing around us for as far as the yes could see. The ground itself seemed to be a liquid, though it seemed solid enough to walk on. The only other color that existed in this mysterious realm was the color of the sky above us. A pitch black darkness that seemed to be alive.

Not even two minutes in, and I instantly regretted my decision.

"Akima," I said calmly. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

 _ **"That's an understatement,"**  _she replied cautiously.  _ **"Hell, I don't even think we're in the**_ **Multiverse** _ **anymore."**_

"Terrific. I decide to throw caution to the wind, and I end up- wait a minute, the Hell is  **that?"**

Far away from the ship, I could see a figure walking toward us. He was humanoid in shape, and wore dark clothing (mostly black). He wore a hooded leather jacket, which covered an intricately designed metal body armor, the color of dark steel. He wore black padded jeans, which seemed to be for protection. Underneath his hood was a featureless metal mask similar to mine. However, unlike mine, his didn't even show his eyes. At his side was a dai-katana, traditionally curved and eerily similar in appearance to Duncan's sword  _Bright Shadow_. The blade was also a pistol sword, except the gun was in the handle of the sword with the barrel built into the tsuba.

All in all, I could tell just from looking at him that this person was **not**  to be fucked with.

Still though, I could feel something...familiar about this guy. As if I'd met him before.

 _ **"He seems friendly,"**_  Akima quipped as she noticed his attire.

Taking a deep breath, I said "I'm going out there. Raise all shields and prime all weapons. If he tries anything, shoot him to smithereens." She saluted me, and I went towards the starboard entrance in order to head outside. To be on the safe side, I put on my Multiverser combat form in order to protect myself and give me access to the atmosphere from my universe. With another deep breath, I opened the hatch.

As I hit the ground, it rippled beneath my feet as I sank an inch. Testing the waters a bit, I figured it was safe enough and walked over to the mysterious figure, who simply stood there watching me in...amusement? Clearing my throat a bit, I said "Um, hi there."

 **"What are you doing here?"**  was his sharp reply, his voice electronically altered.

"Wha-?"

 **"I said, why are you here?"**  he reiterated.  **" **From what I can tell,** you don't belong here."**

The man obviously had no manners and preferred getting straight to the point. "I was looking for the RWBY universe. My, well, teacher is there, and he offered me a place. I'm kinda lost, though. Hence why my ship," I said pointing back to the _Dragon's Enterprise,_  "found its way through a portal to here."

Looking behind me to the portal, the person said **"I'll have to fix that later. So, this teacher of yours...who is he?"**

"Duncan Verser."

Instantly, I realized I had said the wrong thing.

Because it was at that moment the ground ceased to be white, turning a murky gun metal gray. And the sky, though it remained pitch black...it was now like a raging darkness. The atmosphere screamed with barely controlled hate. And all of that hate radiated off this man. It was at  **that**  moment, I realized, that this guy wasn't someone I could take on.

**"I'm going to take a wild guess and assume he pulled you out from where you came from and slapped the Multiverser tag on you. And you accepted it like a complete and utter idiot."**

"Hey, in my defense, it was either  **that**  or be left to die in a flaming wreckage," I said, offended. "Anyway, I like this job. I've been seeing and learning things I never thought possible before. I even got the chance to save someone from my own world...and give them the position of Multiverser. Which gave said person a severe God complex," I added to myself. "But Duncan, crazy as he may be, is a good guy-"

It was then he backhanded me to the ground.

As I reeled from the incredibly painful blow, the stranger crouched down to my level.  **"You obviously don't know dick about that... _thing_  you call a friend. Tell me, what do you know of Verser?"**

"You asshole-" He calmly planted his foot on my hand, applying pressure and leaving me screaming in pain.

 **"Answer the question,"**  he coldly punctuated with more pressure.

"I know he's King of the Multiversers, pretty much of the entire Multiverse! He's the most powerful entity alive, second only to the Multiverse itself! And he's been teaching me all he knows!" I answered, trying to get my hand back. Akima wasn't firing because I was too close. I'd have to get more precise weaponry for the  _Dragon's Enterprise._

 **"And what about his past?"**  the masked man asked. **"Do you know the things he's done?"**

"I assume he's helped a lot of people," I spat out. "And beat up jackasses like you!"

The man snorted.  **"Maybe so. But you say he's the most powerful entity you've ever met. Do you think one can claim that title being a nice guy?"**

"What does this have to do with-"

 **"You take orders and lessons from a man who collects WMDs,"**  he began.  **"Who's allowed biological weapons to be unleashed. Who's taken pleasure in letting people he deems 'not a good person' linger as he kills them. And then, he'll take over corrupt organizations and criminal operations for his own agenda. He has left mountain ranges of corpses in his wake. Hell, he's one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in some worlds. _That_  is the kind of thing that gave him his position."**

The silence was immediate.

 **"Is that the kind of man you follow?"**  he asked.  **"Or did he leave those bits of information out?"**

"And why should I believe a word that comes out of your mouth?" I sneered. "Which you're too afraid to show to the world, since you're hiding you likely ugly mug behind a helmet."

 **"Sticks and stones, kid,"**  he said as he shook his head, standing up and removing his foot.  **"Believe me or not, it makes no difference. I'm no Saint, that's for sure. But don't assume Verser is either."**

"So who- or  **what** \- the hell are you?" I asked, rubbing my sore hand.

 **"...Everything that Verser is, I am not,"**  he started, turning his back to me as I stood up.  **"Everything he stands for, I stand against. What he builds up, I tear down. What he protects, I destroy."**

I snorted. "I'm pretty sure you're not the first to try and you won't be the last. What makes you so much stronger than the other baddies that want to kill him?"

 **"Oh, I'm weak. Quite weak, actually. But think of a clock. Verser goes clockwise as he grows more powerful. I go counter-clockwise at the exact same rate. I'm weak to the point I match him. You think the Multiverse is the one thing Verser is second to?"**  he questioned, barely turning to me.  **"There're two things that matter; existence...and non-existence."**

"Non-existence?" I muttered. "So, if the Multiversers are the entities of existence, then what does that make you? An 'Antiverser'?"

 **"'Antiverser.' An unoriginal name created by the first Multiversers so that they could call their natural enemy something. We don't need a title to be what we are,"**  he scoffed.  **"Childish, on so many levels. It'll have to do, though."**

"I don't understand."

 **"There is an antithesis to everything,"**  the Antiverser told me.  **"And everything must come to an end."**

"Usually that means so something new can begin."

 **"Usually as defined by philosophers who are technically biased as they cannot comprehend non-existence,"**  he elaborated.  **"I don't much care for them or their word anymore."**

At that point, I had figured it out. "You...you work for something that wants to kill everything. So that nothing will  **ever**  restart."

 **"I just want Verser,"**  he clarified.  **"Everyone else are acceptable losses."**

"I'm not letting you do that," I said, pulling out  _Masamune_  and pointing it to his back. He didn't even look threatened.

**"You don't know what you're getting yourself into, kid."**

"I know enough." That was all I needed to say, before I slashed my blade at him.

And in an instant, he pulled out his own blade and steel clashed, sending sparks flying all around us.

We then instantly jumped away from each other, giving me the chance to bring out  _Avalon._  I may not have had the cover or distance needed to snipe the guy, but I could still put him on the defensive with the battle rifle mode. Every shot fired was meant to push him back, trying to get him to a distance where Lambda could start shooting and not get me caught in the crossfire.

Unfortunately, the Antiverser seemed to have caught onto my plan and started running forward, dodging my shots effortlessly. Realizing I'd have to use CQC for this guy, I put  _Avalon_  away and primed  _Equinox_  for my greatest fight yet.

Our fists sailed across from each other, both making direct contact with our faces. Even though my punch from  _Equinox_  had the power of a close-range shotgun blast, his punch felt like I had gotten rammed into with a bullet train. So while he simply stood there and took it like a pro, I was sent sailing away from him. By the time I landed and skidded to a halt, he was directly above me, dai-katana ready to impale me.

Which it did. Right in my fucking right shoulder.

And let me tell you something. That wound was far worse than any pain I had ever felt in my life, leaving me screaming bloody murder. It was as if he had set fire to my veins, while simultaneously sending electric impulses to my brain directly to the pain receptors.

When I finally stopped screaming, it was when the Antiverser pulled the blade out and said  **"In case you're wondering why it hurt more than it should have, it's because of what my sword, _Peaceful Vengeance_ , has laced into the blade. An element I forged in this place called Negatium. Drains the energy from anything it touches in its unrefined state. And it's also basically the kryptonite of a Multiverser like yourself. The blade also has the ability to produce electricity in various amounts. From something as large as a lightning bolt, to enough energy to affect your senses. Like the pain receptors I just shocked."**

Glaring pure hatred at the Antiverser, I realized I needed to get an advantage over this guy. So while he had his focus on me, I discreetly created a duplicate of myself as I proceeded to do one of the stupidest things I'd ever done: make him mad.

Bringing myself up, I growled out "Christ, you are a fucking **asshole.**  I just want to clarify something: are you  **sure**  you're not related to Duncan?"

Yeah, I think that  **definitely**  made him madder.

He started swinging  _Peaceful Vengeance_  like a madman after I said that, leaving him wide open to an attack from my double. And by attack, I mean firing both parts of  _Equinox_  into the Antiverser's back at point blank range. He even stabbed him with the hidden blades for good measure.

The resulting blast sent the Antiverser flying right toward me. With a grin, I hit him right in the neck with a lariat, sending him spinning backwards as he collided with the ground. My double and I shared a nod with each other as we took out our  _Avalons_  and unleashed a firestorm of shots at the Antiverser.

A moment of silence followed after we stopped firing, with the two of us watching the smoke from our barrage.

**"Your attacks have spirit."**

I whirled around just in time to see the Antiverser run my double through with  _Peaceful Vengeance,_  and watched in horror as the other me fell to the ground, dead as a doornail.

**"But they lack killing intent. If you want to have any hope of surviving a fight against a superior opponent, you need to back up your attacks with the ability to kill. Not that you'll ever get the chance."**

As he finished, he immediately charged forward, barely giving me enough time to dodge his attack. I tried blocking his strike, but all it did was slow him down. He placed pressure on  _Masamune,_  enough to snap the blade in two. Though I was shocked at the attack, my self-preservation instincts kicked in at the nick of time, allowing me to jump backwards and avoid getting slashed.

From then on, the battle went in his favor, forcing me to dodge every strike, evade every shot, putting me on the defensive. All I could think of as the battle raged on...

Was that I was going to die.

Die!

DIE!

And then, the Antiverser was right on top of me. For the briefest of moments...I was staring at the Devil himself

Before he could do anything, I quickly swung  _Avalon_  at him, putting enough of my strength into the attack that the resulting slash collided violently with the Antiverser's head, throwing him a few good miles away from me. The attack also managed to break  _Avalon_  as well, leaving it in two pieces.

Before he could even recover, the Antiverser found himself getting shot repeatedly by the guns of the  _Dragon's Enterprise._  Noticing I had finally gotten a chance, I ran toward the entrance. Before getting into the ship, I cast a final glance at the corpse of my double, lamenting that I was forced to leave it behind. The door closed, and I ran desperately onto the bridge.  **"AKIMA, GET US THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"**

 _ **"On it, Michael!"**_  With that, we managed to turn around instantaneously fast thanks to this baby being able to defy the laws of physics. With a roar of the engines, we blasted through the portal, not slowing down once until we finally reached the other side. And even then, we didn't slow down until a few minutes later.

Breathing heavily, I allowed myself the chance to laugh a little bit. I was laughing at the fact that I had just faced an opponent- my first ever real opponent- and I had managed to actually survive.  _'And all it cost me was nearly every weapon I made. All I have left now is Equinox.'_

Then a thought hit me. Several, actually. "Akima," I called out. "I think we really need to have a chat with Duncan."

Immediately afterwards, I received a message from Duncan, containing what appeared to be a map. Attached was the following message:

_Hey, Michael,_

_You know, it just occurred to me that I never really gave you any real directions to find the universe I'm currently inhabiting. So, I decided to send you this map. Just follow it and you'll find yourself at the proper RWBY universe in no time at all._

_Sincerely, Duncan_

My grip was so strong, my knuckles turned snow white as I crushed the railing. "A  **really**  long chat," I growled out.

* * *

_Present Day..._

* * *

"After that, I managed to find my way into the RWBY universe. Unfortunately, I kinda lost the map as I was entering, so I got lost and wound up in the Land of the Dead. I found Roman Torchwick, I accidentally set him loose, I met up with you guys, I got a date with a cute girl, we had an epic food fight, and the rest is history. The end."

Everyone was staring at me in complete and utter shock. And I mean everyone: Team RWBY, Team JNPR, Sun Wukong, Neptune, and even Duncan himself were left speechless at the end of my tale. Though Ruby seemed to act a bit oddly after I mentioned I had a date.

And Duncan. He looked like he was holding in the same amount of rage the Antiverser had when I mentioned Duncan was my teacher. Pure, calm, unadulterated, silent rage. Except this stemmed from hearing the Antiverser had the sword  _Peaceful Vengeance_  in his possession. All I could think of at the time was that I felt sorry for the Antiverser.

Yang was the first to compose herself. "Uh...wow. Just, wow."

"Dude," Neptune said as he smiled at me. "That's pretty cool."

"Thanks," I said as I nursed my shoulder as it numbed itself. Apparently, the Negatium in my veins was acting as a poison to me. If left unchecked for about a week, I would've ended up dead. The sensation would disappear in an hour or so, but for now, I've never felt this mortal in a long time. "Hey, do you guys mind giving Duncan and I some privacy? I need to talk to him about something."

Bringing herself out of her shock, Ruby said "Sure thing! Come on, guys. Out out out!" She pushed everyone out at once, leaving Duncan and I alone in the room.

With a deep breath, I hardened my gaze and said "Alright. You only get one chance here, Duncan. One chance to tell the truth. The stuff that the Antiverser said about you...is it all true?"

He didn't answer at first. He walked over to the window, staring out at the horizon.

"Do you know what aspect I represent?" he asked.

"Duncan-"

"Chaos," he interrupted me. "I'm the 'Aspect of Chaos.' And chaos, whether people accept it or not, is life. Everything in existence stems from chaos; good, bad, intelligence, madness, material, immaterial, life, death...even  **order**  is created from chaos. And sometimes, I do horrible things to get stuff done."

"Well, if that's the case," I began, finding a loss of respect for the person I called a teacher, "I don't know if I want to learn any-"

"Wasn't finished," he interrupted me again, casing me to get a tick mark on my forehead. "What this guy said, it's true. Yes. I have an army, been adding to it for centuries. And everything I've done has a purpose. The WMDs? So that feuding countries can't blow the world up for a while and I can stop conflicts in other places that go too far. The bio-weapons? I allow them and collect them so I can understand them and synthesize cures for them. The torturing? I despise serial killers, rapists, tyrants, war criminals, terrorists, etc. All who are in complete control of themselves, and simply like what they do. Criminal organizations and the like? To control and restrict what they do. Like no selling drugs to kids. Or I kill them. Lets me control the bad in places so that they're can be a chance for everyone else can fix the other crap. And yes, 'mountain ranges of corpses trailing behind me'?" That's pretty accurate. I've only ever counted five of the major long-term conflicts I've been in as war. Everything else since those was slaughter in my eyes. And I can remember each and every person I've ever killed; their names, their faces, their families."

I remained silent.

"There's this saying for Multiversers; 'We are whatever we  **want**  to be...and whatever we **need**  to be'," Duncan told me, finally turning to face me. "I'm not a good person, Michael. I teach you and others so that you may learn from my mistakes. Maybe one day you shall replace me, and can make the alternative choice and it works. But sometimes, I've had to kill, conquer, and destroy. Sometimes I have to be a Dr. Manhattan so that people will try to kill me rather than each other. And all the sins I've committed will haunt me to the day I finally think is time for me to die. And I can only hope the last act I commit...will be good. The white, not the black or gray. Make of it what you will."

I stood there, staring at him. And it was in that moment, Duncan didn't look like a nineteen year-old like he usually does. He looked very, very, very old. And tired. But he still had things to do.

"Okay. I understand," I sighed. "I don't like it, but I understand. And I hope maybe you'll learn to make the alternate choice more often. Hopefully I can teach you that."

"It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, Mike," he smiled sadly. "But, fuck. It would be nice."

Outside the door, the members of Teams RWBY and JNPR, Sun, and Neptune were listening in on Duncan and his brother/student/whatever and heard everything said. While they were saddened that Duncan had done such horrible things (Blake and Yang especially to Ruby and Weiss' suspicion), his reasoning was enough for them to take the same stance as Michael. They would help Michael. They would help Michael help Duncan to stop doing so much evil, even if it was for good. And hopefully, help Duncan find some inner peace.

"By the way Duncan," Michael started. "This man, this 'Antiverser'? He said the first Multiversers came up with the title of Antiversers. Does that mean we died out?"

Duncan's face hardened. "Yes, we did. Both the Antiversers and Multiversers were simultaneously killed by the strongest of our kind at that time. Since then, he died. And I'm searching for knowledge he left behind. I don't know what his name was, and I don't care. It's likely I'd be able to defeat him. But I'm getting off-track. If he really is an Antiverser, then it means the force I've been preparing against has an agent. Supposedly one as powerful as me. That.  **Won't.**  Fly. But if it's true, if this man really is an Antiverser, with a grudge against me for some reason...then that means there are dark times ahead."

"Time," I muttered. My eyes widened as I looked at the clock It was 7:50.  **"HOLY SHIT! I'M GONNA BE LATE!"**

"Late?" Duncan asked. Then his eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh right, you have a date at 8:00, don't you?"

"Yeah, no **shit!"**  I yelled as I dressed myself up. Running out the door, as well as knocking everyone behind said door to the ground, I muttered "Oh man, Emerald's gonna kill me if I'm late!"

Chuckling, Duncan said "I bet she will!" But then, his mind caught up to what I said. Particularly the name of the woman I was going on a date with.

Emerald Sustrai.

And at that point, Duncan just stared off blankly into space, realizing I was going on a date with one of RWBY's main antagonists. With a face-palm, Duncan muttered "Aw, crap in a hat!"

* * *

_Third-Person POV: A few days ago..._

* * *

The Antiverser was not in a good mood.

Not only did he just meet a student of Duncan Verser, but said student had managed to escape. Even worse, he knew without a doubt that Verser would soon become aware of his existence. That meant it was time to step up his plans.

As he materialized a small audio disk in his hand, he looked over at the corpse of Michael left behind.

And as a thought came to mind, he allowed himself a very rare, genuine smile. **"I can work with this,"**  he said to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of that!
> 
> Things are starting to get more serious in the world of Multiversers. The existence of an opposing force equal to them, a plan to kill everything in existence, and a powerful being with a vendetta.
> 
> Just who is the Antiverser? Why does he hate Duncan so much? What is on the mysterious audio disc? And what plans does he have in store for the corpse of Michael's double?
> 
> Stay tuned to find out, both for VindictiveDunc's stories, as well as mine.
> 
> Until then, ShepardisaBOSS is signing out.


End file.
